INDIANA — As many restaurant chains continue to downsize in the midst of economic uncertainty, HSG Restaurant Group has plans to expand by opening 40 Dunkin' Donuts stores throughout Indianapolis and central Indiana. Serving as project manager for the development areas, Colliers Corporate Solutions is helping HSG roll out the new stores quickly and efficiently.
Located on the corner of Washington and Pennsylvania streets in downtown Indianapolis, the first turn-key store for HSG opened this summer. A unique aspect of the store that Colliers implemented on behalf of its client blends a retro Dunkin' Donuts feel with the current brand image. The 1,855-square-foot Dunkin' Donuts was completed in less than 3 months.
“We opened the first store in downtown Indianapolis, the second store in Bloomington near Indiana University and the third store in Kokomo; and the fourth, fifth, and sixth stores are under construction to be completed this year,” explains Brian Ungles, senior vice president in Colliers Corporate Solutions, who is serving as account executive spearheading HSG's rollout of stores. “At this pace, we are on track to open at least one new store every month for at least the next 6 months.”
Part of the teams' initial success can be attributed to both of the companies' commitment to the project. Indianapolis-based HSG was formed in 2007 specifically to become a major franchisee of Dunkin' Donuts. Since then, the company has targeted 10 development zones for its expansion. Five zones are situated within the greater Indianapolis area, with five others spread throughout Central Indiana in Lafayette, Kokomo, Anderson, Columbus and Bloomington.
Initially, Colliers Corporate Solutions developed a relationship with HSG through its work for Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Brands Inc., which franchises Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins stores. Colliers worked with the company on the deployment of a new Baskin-Robbins location in early 2007, and when the former president of Dunkin' Brands became the president and CEO of HSG, Colliers was selected for the new project.
As project manager for the new Dunkin' Donuts stores, Colliers Corporate Solutions, which is led by St. Louis-based Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, is in charge of site selection, lease negotiations, vendor management, and construction coordination for in-line and freestanding build-to-suit locations for HSG. With budgets tightening, Colliers is sticking to the basics to help HSG meet its goals.
“We are really looking to take advantage of competitive pricing and we like to partner up with a good local general contractor,” Ungles says. “While staying within scope, we pay close attention to detail and are able to keep the costs down for our client.”